Byron Kilbourn
| Byron Kilbourn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
September 8, 1801 Granby, Connecticut, |
| Died | December 16, 1870 (aged 69) Jacksonville, Florida |
| Burial place | Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee |
| Occupation | Businessman and politician |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Mayor of Milwaukee | |
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In office 1848–1848 |
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In office 1854–1854 |
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Byron Kilbourn (September 8, 1801 – December 16, 1870) was an American surveyor, railroad executive, and politician who was an important figure in the founding of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Kilbourn was born in Granby, Connecticut, United States, North America. In 1803, he moved with his family to Worthington, Ohio, which his father had helped found that year. Kilbourn's father was James Kilbourne, a colonel during the War of 1812 and a U.S. Representative from Ohio from 1813 to 1817.
Byron Kilbourn worked in Ohio as a surveyor and as a state engineer. He first visited Wisconsin in 1834, landing at Green Bay, and worked as a government surveyor in the area. He later deemed the area near the Milwaukee River to be a promising location for commerce, and he purchased land there. In 1837 Kilbourn founded Kilbourntown (present day Westown), which rivaled with Solomon Juneau's Juneautown (present day East Town) and George Walker's Walker's Point. He was a key figure in the Milwaukee Bridge War in 1845. In 1846, the three combined and formed the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He served in the Wisconsin Territorial House of Representatives in 1845 and was a member of the second Wisconsin Constitutional Convention of 1847. Kilbourn also served as a Milwaukee alderman and was elected to two non-consecutive terms as mayor in 1848 and 1854. Kilbourn was also a 1849 candidate for the United States Senate, but was defeated by incumbent Isaac P. Walker.
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